The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-03
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
CHARLES DICKENS, JR.


Mr. Charles Dickens, Jr., was the attrac-
ton in the Stockbridge course last evening.
The editor of "All the Year Round" and
Household Words" is gentleman of me-
diuni height, with considerable resemblance
to the portraits of 'Boz" that adorn some of
the editions of his celebrated fathers works
He wears no side whiskers, but does boast a
moustache, uses spectacles, and brushes his
hair forward over the ears in the way his
father did when he delighted Portland
audience in the winter of 1S67-6S He pos
sesses large face, but the features are
mobile, and the eyes clear and kindly. Mr..
Dickens wore last evening the usual dress
suit, with white tie, and a scarlet flower in
bis buttonhole.
After a very pleasant introduction by Rev.
DIR. Dalton, Mr.. Dickens stepped to the read
ing desk, opened his book and gave to his
hearers scenes from that one of his fathers
novels that Dickens always considered his
pest effort, and which has been called, in GER
tain senses, his autobiography, David Cop
perfeld." Right here we wish to say that as
the reading proceeded the feeling engendered
was that of agreeable disappointment. 1t is
possible that Mr.. Dickens's choice of subject
had good deal to do with this, for David
Copperfeld is so interesting that any of its
scenes will hold the attention of an audience
Apart from this fact, however, Mr. Dickens,
without making any pretensions to recita-
tion, gave form and color to many of the
those, however, that are the most prominent,
like Uriab Heep, Micawber and Peggotty,
were either not touched upon at all, or so
slightly as to amount to but little. The
readers attention was devoted chiefly to the
touching story of Little Emily, and the rest
of the novel was virtually ignored. What
Mr.. Dickens seems to lack most is force and
intensity: While Dan'l Peggotty was fairly
presented in dialect, giving a good idea of
the bluff old fisherman, there was lacking
the deep pathos that attaches to his state
the terrible intensity with which he asks SKIS
Ham, ''Who's the MANI" But there were
many touches of quiet humor, as where
Mrs. Crupp tells David what is good for the
stomach, adding with delicious little gulp
brandy and the proposal of David to
that which closed the reading, the descrip-
ton of the storm, ending with the tragical
death OF Steerforth, and this was exceedingly
well done. At the moment when he de-
scribed the break up of the ship pin could
have been heard if it had fallen among the
audience.
Mr.. Dickens was warmly applauded during
the evening. He is not in any respect the
reader that his father was, but he is inter-
esting to a cultivated audience, admirers of
his fathers works.
The next entertainment will be the concert
by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
IN. C. A. COURSE.
This evening Mr.. Stuart Rogers, the well
known imrersonator, will appear at City
Hall in the Y. NJ. c. A. course. Among his
of England, RI Hon. w. K. Gladstone
Tickets should be secured today at Stock
bridges.
NOTES.
Jennie Lind Goldschmidt, the celebrated
Swedish singer, is dead, aged &C. She had
not appeared in public since 1866.
Mazda Craigen appears to have achieved a
Winter says of her: 'Miss Craigen, whose
sincerity and vivacity were again seen with
pleasure, made a considerable figure of JUS
tines confidential companion"
After fifty years hard work on the stage
Barry Sullivan has lately been suffering
from severe nervous depression. He is now
in good physical health, but has such dis
taste for work that he has cancelled all his
engagements.
1t is understood that the first price asked
for the Academy of Music was $425, 900.
Messrs. Tompkins and Gilmore paid $685.
600, which is said to be great bargain, as
the real estate in itself would be worth that.
The last owner, Mr. Douglass, bought the
property for $330,000.
Mr.. Gericke is i'll and unable to conduct
the Boston Symphony rehearsals for few
days.
Mrs. Potter seems to have made varied
Impression on her first appearance in New
York. William Winter, of the Tribune,
says: "Her strength, at present, is wholly
IN her sweetness; She has an abundance of
sweetness and of sentiment, but neither
passion, intellectual dignity nor moral
grandeur. Nym CTinkle says emphatically
IN the World; "She made her appearance
IN lamentably puerile play, and she kept
strictly abreast of its puerility if not of its
wearlsomeness, and never for one moment
broke the surface of its dull platitudinous
ness for the work she has undertaken with
SO much acclaim"